


Lovesick

by lesbianferrissbueller



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Boys In Love, Caretaking, Drunkenness, Established Relationship, Fluff, House Party, M/M, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Tenderness, Underage Drinking, he gets one dont worry, i mean idk if this needs a trigger warning but steve does throw up which is kinda gross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 17:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22499779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianferrissbueller/pseuds/lesbianferrissbueller
Summary: “What did you even drink?” Billy’s teasing him, far and away more sober than Steve is.“Port. And a couple beers. And a lot of raspberry schnapps.” Steve’s voice sounds more gravelly than usual, he has been throwing up for the past twenty minutes at intervals.Billy laughs at him. “Jesus, Harrington, that’s such a-”“Rookie mistake. I know.” Steve leans back against the wall of the bathroom they're hiding out in. It feels cool against his head, which is so hot, he feels way too hot, and like his skin is sticky, and he can't lift his head back up to even look at Billy. And he hates it's a little that Billy’s here right now. Maybe it's a leftover need to impress Billy, maybe it's just his tendency to never want anyone to see him at less than a hundred percent.But maybe he likes it that Billy here. He sort of feels better because of it.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 22
Kudos: 211





	Lovesick

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keysmashdnp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keysmashdnp/gifts).



Steve doesn't really let anyone take care of him. He knows that’s, like,  _ bad _ or whatever because Robin always goes “you should let people help you/take care of you/support you.”

And it’s not like he  _ means _ to refuse help, it’s just that he’s not used to it. It’s very easy to smile and say ‘no, I'm good, thanks’ when someone asks you if you need any kind of assistance, especially when you've been saying that phrase since before you can remember, because it's not like you got a ton of help at things as a kid. There was a lot of figuring it out and hoping for the best and it's not like Steve  _ tries _ to hide it when he’s struggling, it's just that he’s never had anyone to show it to before. 

So he doesn't really show anyone. Except, on occasion, Robin. And right now, Billy. 

“What did you even drink?” Billy’s teasing him, far and away more sober than Steve is. 

“Port. And a couple beers. And a lot of raspberry schnapps.” Steve’s voice sounds more gravelly than usual, he has been throwing up for the past twenty minutes at intervals. 

Billy laughs at him. “Jesus, Harrington, that’s such a-”

“Rookie mistake. I know.” Steve leans back against the wall of the bathroom they’re hiding out in. It feels cool against his head, which is so hot, he feels way too hot, and like his skin is sticky, and he can't lift his head back up to even look at Billy. And he hates it's a little that Billy’s here right now. Maybe it's a leftover need to impress him, maybe it's just Steve’s tendency to never want anyone to see him at less than a hundred percent. 

But maybe he likes it that Billy here. He sort of feels better because of it.

Steve’s eyes are closed, so he doesn't see it when Billy leans closer to smooth Steve’s hair off his forehead, but he feels it. He can feel the metal of the ring on Billy's hand. Steve leans into it a little. He remembers leaning into his mother's slender hand just the same when he was a kid, with a fever high enough to miss school. More comforting than anything.

But Steve grimaces a little, still not opening his eyes. “You don’t have to be here.”

“Nah, I can't leave such a hot piece of ass to die from alcohol poisoning, can I?”

Steve smiles. Billy’s let his hand move from Steve’s forehead to his neck, fingers against Steve’s jaw, cradling his head a little. 

“I hate you.” Steve tips his head back up to open his eyes and actually look at Billy, who’s smiling at him. 

“You love me.”

Steve laughs, and it kind of makes him nauseous again, so he ends up spitting into the toilet for the millionth time and grimacing again. 

“This is so gross.” Steve thinks how he must be getting less hot by the second in Billy’s eyes, vomiting his guts out, spitting into the toilet of a bathroom that smells like ass. And Billy should go back out into the party, having fun, walking around being worshiped like he likes. Why is he here? With Steve? Even if they're… you know…  _ in love _ or whatever. 

“I've seen grosser.” Billy says, ike Steve could be trying harder to disgust him. Steve wants to laugh again, but ends up dry heaving a couple times, and when he can breathe easily again, he feels Billy's hand at his back. It's really soothing. It's strange. Billy’s almost never, like,  _ gentle _ with Steve. Which Steve likes, because he doesn't ever want to feel like people are being careful with him. But he likes it now. 

“You’re so nice.” Steve mumbles, probably because he's drunk. “You’re being so nice to me.”

“You’re shitfaced, it's not like I'm gonna kick you when you're down.”

“You could.”

“I  _ wouldn't _ .”

Steve feels that in his feet. 

“Why not?” Steve lifts his head to look at Billy square, still hugging the toilet for all he’s worth. 

Billy looks back at him, makes a face, but it's fleeting. He doesn't answer. 

“You know,” Steve tried his best to speak coherently. “You- you could be back out there, talking to everyone and everyone  _ loves _ you, like, you have better things to be doing and you're in here with  _ me _ and I just don’t get  _ why _ .”

“There is nothing better than watching you throw up into a toilet at a house party.” Billy says, this cocky smile playing over his lips. 

Steve loves him so much right then. Loves him and his cocky smile and the dumb cool ways that he doesn’t answer questions and the way that he’s sitting like it’s cool to be sitting on a bathroom floor. And he almost says that. That he loves Billy. But he’s only said it once before and he doesn't know if it's ok to say again. So instead he says: 

“Well, I think I've officially yakked all my guts up, so you can go if you want.”

“Think you’re done?” 

Steve nods, uncoordinated as ever. 

“Well, time for phase two.” And Billy produces a glass of water seemingly from nowhere- but Steve is very out of it, so what does he know. “Here.” Billy hands steve the glass. 

“No, Billy-”

“Drink it.”

“You don’t have to-”

“Either you drink it or I waterboard you with it.”

Steve takes the glass and rolls his eyes. 

Water tastes amazing when you're drunk and dehydrated. 

“Why am I letting you take care of me.” Steve says almost to himself, looking at the glass of water in his hands.

“No idea.” Billy laughs a little. 

Steve pulls fully back from the toilet, leans back into Billy’s chest, let’s Billy hold him around the waist, keeping him propped up enough to finish his water. Billy pushes more of Steve's hair from his face. 

Steve closes his eyes again for a brief second. He wants to relax into this feeling, like maybe he doesn't have to hold his own so much, but it’s hard. It’s hard to let someone take care of you, even if you trust them now, love them, even if a couple days ago they said that they love you too and you haven't talked about it since.

He opens his eyes. He drinks more water.

“Thanks.” Steve says, lifting the glass once he’s emptied it. 

“Yeah, don’t mention it.” Billy takes it from him, sets it carefully on the sink counter above their heads. Steve looks across his shoulder, leans back a little just to see Billy's face. 

“Don’t kiss me I taste like vomit.” Steve says.

“I literally do not give a shit.” Billy says, before leaning in to kiss him. It doesn't taste like vomit. It just sort of tastes like the cigarette Billy was smoking before he first dragged Steve to the bathroom to make sure he didn't die.

Steve giggles a little when Billy pulls away. 

“Jesus, I’m gonna have to carry you home, aren't I?” Billy tries not to smile back

“You’re coming home with me?” Steve says like he doesn't already know. 

“Yeah baby, I’ll go home with you.” Billy plays along, grinning again. 

Steve laughs again, doesn't feel as sick anymore. 

And he’s letting Billy take care of him, going to let him for the rest of the night if he wants to. 

And he thinks about saying it again- “I love you.”

But he doesn't. Because it might still be too soon. 

So instead he leans his head back into the crook of Billy's neck and tugs one of his curls. 

_ I love you. _

**Author's Note:**

> so my gf stayed with me last night while i threw up in a mall parking lot for like half an hour and i said 'don't kiss me i taste like vomit' and she laughed and said 'i literally do not give a shit' so lucy this is for you! I love you and if that sounds gay its because it is


End file.
